a programming note -- david gregory will have an exclusive interview with president obama on the fiscal cliff crisis tomorrow on "meet the press." >>> want to check the morning's other top stories from jenna wolfe. good morning. >>> good morning, hi, everyone. over $60 billion of aid to victims of hurricane sandy is hanging in the balance this morning. the senate passed an emergency spending package last night, but the house has yet to vote. republicans want a smaller bill. more than a half million homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in the october storm. >>> former president george h.w. bush is in intensive care this morning, but his spokesman says he's improving. nbc's gabe gutierrez is outside the hospital in houston for us. good morning. >> reporter: enagood morning to you. as you mentioned, the former president is here at methodist in the intensive care unit. he's improving. the family spokesman now says that his exchanges with doctors and nurses include singing. now the 41st president of the united states went to the hospital in early november for bronchitis. he was rel